BEC has five Tools to promote engagement in sustainability.
1. Theme Workshops
These are public and feature three or four speakers who present on different aspects of one of the Themes of Sustainability. This leads to discussions and possibly recommendations. BEC Canada can provide a manual.
Tree Talks
This simplified version of a Theme Workshops was developed during COVID. Each talk features one speaker who will discuss one aspect of a Theme, in a park under a tree. The participants sit on the grass and engage in lively discussion after the talk. Tree Talks are fun and are continuing. BEC Canada can provide a manual.
2. Demonstration Projects
These projects show the methods used to address sustainability. They help the public understand the benefit produced by the project. They also help other organizations or businesses to incorporate sustainability elements in their own projects.
3. Sustainability Plans
These begin by bringing together representatives of a school or community to discuss issues and propose actions for each of the ten Themes of Sustainability. This workshop takes about an hour, and the results of the 10 discussions are brought together in the sustainability plan. The plan is distributed to the wider group with a request that everyone pick a project to do. There can also be follow-up to turn proposed group activities into projects. To date, Ottawa BEC has created five school and seven community sustainability plans. BEC Canada can provide manuals for school or community plans.
4. Database of Sustainability Projects
BEC members gather information on sustainability projects underway in their city and put it in an accessible database on a website. They list the project name, organizer, objective, project summary, and a contact for further information. Summaries are organized by the 10 Themes, to pursue their own interests (e.g., Food, Habitat, etc.). Viewers can use the database simply to learn about sustainability, or to gather information for their own activities. BEC Canada can provide a manual. You can visit our Database of Sustainability Projects and learn about existing Sustainability Projects from different organizations in Edmonton.
5. Council of Stakeholders
Stakeholders come together periodically to talk about their interests in sustainability, and to develop projects to address need. They can represent any organization or business interested in sustainability. This was tested by Ottawa BEC in two meetings just before COVID and produced good project proposals.
